Following the financial crisis, the landscape of the insurance industry has changed. Due to the Red Queen dilemma, players are going to have to adapt quickly to the changing market, but some have not even yet realized that this is necessary. Research by Ovum reveals that insurers' awareness of the dilemma and ability to deal with it vary by geographic location.

Published By Datamonitor

With new UK financial services provider Metro Bank having thrown open its doors on July 29, new account holders might have been surprised by the lack of online banking facilities. Indeed, the online channel has become a de facto customer interaction channel for retail banks. Despite Metro's message of "love your bank at last", the bank is not making it easy for the relationship to blossom.

Published By Datamonitor

Having previously announced a collaboration with npower in June 2010, Arqiva has gone on to reveal partnerships with both BT Group and Detica. The deals will lend considerable weight to Arqiva's bid for the UK DataCommsCo role once Ofgem releases its smart meter prospectus. Indeed, Arqiva's existing wireless network and curiously British set of partners place it in an attractive position.

Published By Datamonitor

The Electrification Coalition, whose principal aim is to promote the adoption of electric vehicles in the US, is comprised of 13 chairmen and CEOs from industry. None of these, however, is from the IT industry. Subsequently, the coalition's flagship publication The Electrification Roadmap lacks detail on the challenges facing the IT industry in facilitating mass deployment of electric vehicles.

Published By Datamonitor

As ad revenue plummets and competitive pressure mounts, newspapers are using new technological systems to boost workflow efficiencies, curb operational expenditure and expand service portfolios. For the beginning of 2009, highlighting immediate cost saving benefits is the most important message to take to market for technology vendors, professional services companies and systems integrators.

Published By Datamonitor

The recent nationalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sent shockwaves through the credit default swap market. The subsequent collapse of Lehman Brothers and the nationalization of AIG have caused further turmoil within the industry. The sheer size of the market means that any credit risk failings have the potential to dwarf the sub-prime crisis, with dramatic consequences for all markets.

Published By Datamonitor

Web 2.0 technologies represent a means through which retail banks can more accurately serve the modern consumer. As such, many banks appreciate the benefits that such technologies could bring to their online offerings, such as a new, more customizable and interactive internet experience. However, they remain cautious about implementing the technology due to perceived security implications.

Published By Datamonitor

As information sharing moves higher up the government agenda for improving and modernizing public services in the UK, confusion over sharing personal data abounds within the sector. There is a need for a balanced approach to sharing personal information, but it must be done for good reason and while maintaining the principles of data protection.

Published By Datamonitor

For those without strong technology skills who want to set up in the identity theft marketplace, phishing represents a great opportunity. There is even a plug-and-play kit that enables non-technical users to launch phishing attacks. At the other end of the technology skills scale, it appears that this year's most successful phishing attacks are being launched by one particular group.

Published By Datamonitor

Municipal wireless is still in the embryonic stages of development, but the trend is positioned to explode in the UK and the US over the next five years as local governments and internet service providers recognize the economic and community benefits these networks offer. Given this, spend in the US and UK is expected to grow from $900 million in 2007 to $6.4 billion in 2012.